Pill Hill, Brookline, Massachusetts

Pill Hill became part of Brookline in 1844, when it was annexed from Boston. Noted abolitionist Samuel Philbrick lived in Brookline at 182 Walnut Street during the mid-19th century. His home eventually became a stop for the Underground Railroad. Like other Pill Hills in the United States, Pill Hill in Brookline was nicknamed for the large numbers of doctors in the neighborhood. "High Street Hill" is the older and more formal name for the neighborhood. ==Geography==

Settlement and borders Pill Hill is centered along High Street, but also includes Allerton Street and Cumberland and Pond Avenues, and Hawthorn, Glen and Edgehill Roads. Pill Hill immediately borders other Brookline neighborhoods, including Brookline Village to its north and the historically working-class neighborhood known as The Point ("Whiskey Point") ==Demographics==

The most commonly reported ethnicities/ancestries in Pill Hill are Irish (20.7%), various Asian ancestries (14.6%), English (6.7%), Italian (6.5%), and Russian (6.1%). Additionally, 2.4% of those living in Pill Hill have Spanish ancestry. 17.9% of Pill Hill residents are foreign born. Languages The most common language spoken in Pill Hill is English, spoken by 72.9% of households. Other languages spoken in the neighborhood include Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and French. ==Culture==

Pill Hill is mostly residential but also has places of commerce, particularly operating along Boylston Street/Route 9. Architecture The Pill Hill neighborhood of Brookline has various examples of Victorian architecture. ==Sites==

• Philbrick Square, a park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1880s, is located in Pill Hill. • The historic Free Hospital for Women has been located in Pill Hill since 1895. • The historic Hotel Adelaide is located in Pill Hill on High Street. Hotel Adelaide is no longer a functioning hotel, however, and instead presently serves as residential apartments. • Eliphalet Spurr House, 103 Walnut Street, oldest building in Pill Hill ==Public transportation==

Light rail and subway Pill Hill's close proximity to Brookline Village, allows for easy access to the MBTA's Green Line D-train at Brookline Village (MBTA station). Additionally, Pill Hill is in close proximity to the Green Line E-train line in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, notably the Riverway stop. Both D and E lines of the MBTA's Green Line have service to downtown Boston. Bus Pill Hill is also served by MBTA bus service. ==Education==

Public schools The local public school is the William H. Lincoln School. ==Notable people==

• Arthur Bowditch, architect, designed and lived at 12 Maple St. • Gloria Braggiotti, dancer and writer, lived at 78 Upland Rd. as a child • John Rock, obstetrician and gynecologist, lived at 28 Allerton St. • John Daniel Runkle, president of MIT, lived at 84 High St. • John H. Sherburne, attorney and politician, lived at 92 High St. • Moorfield Storey, lawyer and civil rights leader, lived at 44 Edgehill Rd. • Charles Storer Storrow, civil engineer and industrialist, lived at 70 Upland Rd. from 1878 to 1885 • Charles Pickard Ware, educator, music transcriber, and abolitionist, lived at 195 Walnut St. in the 1880s ==Photo gallery==

File:BrooklineMA PillHillPhilbrickCommon.jpg|Philbrick Square. File:44 Edgehill Rd., Brookline – Peabody and Stearns.png|44 Edgehill Rd. File:22 Irving St., Brookline – Peabody and Stearns (cropped).png|22 Irving St. File:Free Hospital for Women, Brookline, MA.JPG|Free Hospital for Women. File:100 Upland Rd., Brookline – Peabody and Stearns.png|100 Upland Rd. File:Hotel Adelaide, Brookline.jpg|Hotel Adelaide. File:78 Upland Rd., Brookline – Peabody and Stearns.png|78 Upland Rd. ==References==